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Misaki the Big Tank Engine
Dear Friends, The Main Line engines have had more work than ever, so the Big Controller has decided to have another engine built. However, the engine won't be completed for some time, so Misaki and No. 12, the two tank engines who work with the Main Line engines, have to help out much more than they're used to. Misaki surprised me when he told me he was delighted with the thought of extra work. He had grown bored and weary with his usual goods trains, and was excited to really get a chance to work with the likes of Morning Light and Ryu. However, the two big engines were weary about having two tank engines working on the Main Line. Considering how Misaki acted on the first day, I can hardly blame them! But I suppose he's gotten better after what happened when Ryu went away... The Author The Sunlight Express The Big Station is always bustling with passengers from all across Japan and all over the world. Every day, the trains seem to get longer and heavier, and the Main Line engines always make sure to work harder and more efficiently with every train they're given. Morning Light, one of the biggest engines on the Island, is especially diligent when he pulls his special Express. It starts from the Mainland's station and goes across to the Island, where it doesn't stop until it reaches the station by the coast. After that, it takes passengers from there to the Main Station, and then finally to the Valley Station. Morning Light had remembered that this was once Hiro's special train, and so he always made sure to pull the train as he did. The train didn't have a name, but the passengers liked to call it “The Sunlight Express”. Misaki had been great friends with the bigger engines, but if you were to ask him, the Sunlight Express wasn't that big of a deal. “It's just a normal train, like any other,” he remarked one afternoon while Morning Light was preparing to leave for the Valley Station. “You pull the coaches to the stations, and that's it. There's no trick to it.” Morning Light frowned slightly. “Obviously,” he said, “a tank engine like yourself wouldn't understand the concept of a special express like this one.” “I know how to pull a train, Akio!” he chuckled. “You wouldn't even make it to the coast on the first run,” Morning Light said with a roll of his eyes. “Oh, I bet I could!” Misaki chortled. “Just you wait and see.” “I certainly will,” Morning Light sighed as the guard blew his whistle. Morning Light didn't have to wait long. The next day was his monthly inspection at the Works. As he was a prototypical engine, he had to be inspected every so often to make sure he was running well, and if any changes would be needed to make him more efficient. “But I have a train today!” he said miserably as he pulled into the works. “And Ryu's out with his goods train already. Who's going to take the Express?” “Don't worry,” the Big Controller said as he pulled out his notebook. “Misaki will be double-heading it with Number 12. I'm sure they could handle it.” Morning Light cringed. He knew No. 12 was reliable, but Misaki was another story. “Don't worry a bit!” Oni laughed as he puffed alongside. “At least he's not trying to take it alone, right?” In reality, Misaki was under the impression that he was. When he arrived at the station on the Mainland, he was surprised to see No. 12 already coupled to the train. “What's going on?” he said. “You really can't take this train on your own,” the Stationmaster explained. “Number 12 here is going to help you.” Misaki was upset, but decided to head off with No. 12 anyway. “Passengers come first, right?” he said to reassure himself. As the people got in, he slowly backed down onto No. 12 and soon, they were ready to go. The guard blew his whistle and waved his flag, and the two engines pull with all their might. Slowly, the heavy coaches began to move. Misaki found himself sraining more than he had anticpated wth No. 12's help. It took a while before the train was finally running smoothly. Misaki's Driver was concerned. “At this rate, we're not going to make it in time,” he said with a frown. Misaki gasped for breath. “Come ON!” he gronaned the coaches. No. 12 could see that Misaki was pushing himself so hard and hewith big trains before, and knew the best way to do so was to not put too much pressure on himself. He wanted to warn himhe tried whistling at him to get his attention. But Misaki was in such a state that he couldn't figure out what he was trying to tell him. “What was that?” she panted. “I know we're behind, I'm doing the best I can!” No. 12 heard him groaning in front and frowned. He knew he was heading for trouble. Later, Kin and Kuro, the twin buses, had already arrived with their passengers for the next train. They relaxed in the warm sun and waited for the Sunlight Express. The two were surprised; they had never known the train to be late before. When they saw Misaki pulling in with the train, they burst out in laughter. “It looks like you're going to bust your boiler!” Kuro chuckled. The two engines stopped the train. Misaki was red in the face and trying to catch his breath. He looked as if he was in pain. “Don't worry, steamer,” Kin said. “After you're scrapped, you won't have to stress – HEY!” he suddenly coughed as No. 12 blew steam at him. Misaki wanted to rest, but the next train was due out soon. No. 12, however, realized, that something was wrong with him. He shunted him into a siding and the Guard spoke to the Stationmaster. Before long, the arrangements were made. Ryu came to handle the Sunlight Express, and No. 12 headed Ryu's train, with Misaki coupled in front. On his way down the line, they stopped the train by the Works, and No. 12 shunted her inside. After No. 12 had left, the workmen examined Misaki all over. As they did so, he noticed Morning Light beside him. “Still think you can handle it alone?” he said with a chuckle. Misaki blushed. “I couldn't do it, not even with Twelve's help!” he said. “How do you manage?” “That's what you should have asked before you left!” came the teasing voice of Oni as he trundled alongside. Misaki could only roll his eyes as the little engine's laughter echoed through the Works. Twelve's Chocolate Train Some of the workmen stayed overtime to help the two engines, and by morning, Misaki was ready to go, and Morning Light's inspection was almost complete. He couldn't thank the workmen enough. “It's amazing,” remarked Morning Light, “how they can mend both of us and still have time to work on that new engine.” “New engine?” Misaki asked. “There's too much for us to handle on the Main Line,” Morning Light explained, “so the Big Controller's ordered for a new engine. These guys have been working day and night to finish it.” Misaki watched them work and sighed. “They do so much for us,” he said. “I wish we could repay them, somehow.” Just then, her Driver and Fireman arrived. “Come along,” they said to him. “We've got banking duty today.” Misaki said goodbye to everyone, and then he puffed away to work. Meanwhile, No. 12 had been through a rough night. A special had come in and was to be brought to the lumber yard, and he was the only available engine to take it. But the line to the forest went through Naomi's branch line, and he had gotten lost. In the end, he had been yelled at by an old lady for being too loud while a goat wandered onto the line. By morning, he was exhausted and had crawled home to the sheds to rest. While he relaxed in the warm morning sun, his Driver got notice of a goods train for them to take. “We'd better get ready to go,” he told No. 12. The big engine wanted to protest. His Driver understood. “Don't worry,” he said calmly. “It's only a train of chocolate. It'll be just fine.” No. 12 gave a sigh of relief. The thought of pulling a train filled with chocolate sounded a little fun. But when he arrived to collect the train, he found he would be in for a rough trip. There in the middle of the train was Grunt. Grunt was a goods van, the oldest and ugliest on the line. The old truck had taken a liking to picking on No. 12, and things always when wrong whenever the two were together. “Oh, it's YOU,” Grunt snorted with a crude grin, exposing the gap where one tooth was missing. “You don't bug me, and I don't bug you, got it?” No. 12 gave him a nasty look. Just as he was about to puff to the front of the train, Grunt shouted out, “Everyone! Bump him 'till he learns to scream!” No. 12 blushed furiously while all of the trucks giggled and passed the word. “Let's not let him beat us today,” sighed his Driver as No. 12 was coupled up. As they hurried down the line, the trucks seemed to be running smoothly. While the Driver wasn't worrying, No. 12 knew the trucks were only pretending to behave. He was right; they had only arrived at the coastal station when two of the vans violently bashed into each other, coming off the rails. Luckily, their boxes of chocolate remained undamaged, so No. 12 left them to be unloaded and headed off. His next stop was at the station at the end of the Ice Line. He knew he would have to face the big hill again, but he remained confident. All at once, however, he felt the heavy vans hold him back. “Hold him back! Pay him out! Show him what we're all about!” they chanted. Grunt's voice was the loudest of them all. No. 12 did he best, but by the time he reached the Ice Line junction, he was exhausted. Luckily for him, Misaki was in the nearby siding waiting for him. “I heard you'll need a back engine!” she chuckled. “No worries, Twelve, I'm coming to help.” No. 12 was relieved. Misaki carefully buffered up behind the train, and on the Guard's whistle, they puffed away to charge at the hill. But the trucks were relentless. “Hold back! Hold back!” they sneered. As they began to climb, Misaki could feel them pushing against her buffers. But he kept pushing as hard as he could, even though No. 12 was loosing steam. The Guard felt the train buckle. “No! Stop!” he tried to shout to Misaki, but she was puffing too loudly for her Driver to hear. Grunt was feeling triumphant. “Ha ha!” he chortled. “I knew you couldn't do it!” But suddenly, he felt himself buckle upward, and his wheels left the rails. All at once, he found himself falling onto his side. He screamed as his coupling snapped, and he slid down the side of the hill. The first vans in front of and behind Grunt had not fallen over, but had jumped off the rails. The rest of the train remained on the track as No. 12 and Misaki came to a stop. Nobody had been hurt. The guard pinned down the brakes, and Misaki hurried away to find the breakdown train. He soon returned with two large yellow cranes on flatbeds, and the cleanup began. They first put the two vans back on the rails, and No. 12 backed down to couple them together. “You'll behave yourselves now, won't you?” Misaki said to the vans with a grin. “Y-yes, w-we will,” they stammered, looking at the wrecked Grunt laying on his side. No. 12 headed back down the hill, and then pulled them up and onto the Ice Line with no trouble at all. Misaki stayed and watched the cranes bring Grunt back onto the rails. His side door was caved in, and his wheels were wrecked, so they put him on a flatbed. Misaki pulled the cranes away, and then brought Grunt to the Works. At the Works, they examined the damaged and dizzy old van. “It'll take some time,” said the Manager, “but we can fix him.” Inside, they could see lots of crates filled with chocolate. Some of the crates had been broken open during the crash, and chocolate bars were everywhere. “They can't sell ruined chocolate,” Misaki's Driver said. “What should we do?” Then Misaki had an idea. “How about you guys keep the chocolate?” he said. “It can be a token of our appreciation!” The workmen were delighted, and thanked Misaki for his “very fortunate accident”. Oni puffed up and brought the crates to the break room on his flatbeds. Misaki could only smile when he saw the workmen enjoying their chocolate. “I guess I did thank them,” he said to himself. “By accident, anyway!” Unwelcome Guest One morning, the Big Controller came to the Sheds. Ryu was told that he was to go to the Works for a repaint. He was going to be repainted in the railway's uniform green with yellow stripes. He was delighted, and boasted about it. “I'm going to look so awesome!” he said proudly. “You'll look just like everyone else!” Naomi laughed. “Who's doing his work while he's gone?” asked Sora. The Big Controller frowned. “I know you and No. 12 can't handle it,” he said, “so I've asked the Mainland if we can borrow one of their new diesels.” All of the engines frowned. “Yeah, way to go, Ryu,” muttered Katsu. “Cheer up,” said the Big Controller. “The new engine's nearly finished, so we won't have to borrow diesels as much anymore.” The engines were pleased with this news, but the thought of one of the Mainland's diesels on their rails still made them disgusted. Ryu left, and the new diesel arrived an hour later. He had 12 wheels, a long front and back, and a squat cab in his center. He was painted black all over with orange stripes, and his bufferbeam was yellow. He purred into the Sheds, and the Big Controller introduced him. “Here,” he said, “is Raiden. Please help him to feel comfortable during his stay.” “Yes, Sir,” the engines muttered. “And you,” the Big Controller continued, looking at Raiden, “be on your best behavior, or you're heading right back to the Mainland. Do you understand?” “Yeah, I got it,” Raiden snorted in a bored tone. The Big Controller glared at the big diesel. All of the engines stared at Raiden. Nobody had ever disrespected the Big Controller before. Raiden just raised an eyebrow at them. “What's with you all?” he said his gruff voice. “Never seen a diesel before?” Before anyone else could speak, he rumbled away from the shed to work. Raiden's first job was to collect coal trucks from the mine. Misaki had already shunted the filled trucks into place. She was chatting to Smudger and Joel, two of the narrow gauge engines, when Raiden arrived. He stared at the hoppers and the little engines. “Well,” he said bluntly, “never seen anything like this before.” Misaki blinked. “And who are you?” he asked. “I'm Raiden,” the diesel replied. “Now could you hurry up and get me my trucks? I don't have time to sit around like you steamers.” Misaki was insulted. “Hey!” he snapped. “We don't talk like that around here.” “Pah,” muttered Raiden. “What's it matter what I say? Trucks, freight cars, they're the same thing.” “That's NOT what I...” Misaki began, before he noticed the number 51 painted on the side of his cab. “What are you doing with that number?” he said crossly. “That's Hiro's number!” “Hiro?” Raiden said. “Oh, that old timer? I can pull twice as much at twice his speed, all in perfect safety. I don't know why your railway still bothers with steam. It's so outdated and old-fashioned. Once your Controller gets some sense to buy more engines like me, he'll be thankful.” Raiden rolled away with his heavy train. Misaki was furious, and so were the little engines. “What right does he have to say he's better than the Master of the Railway?” Smudger spat. Joel and Smudger told the rest of the little engines, who told the big engines at the Main Station. By the time Morning Light returned with the Sunlight Express, every engine on the island was angry at Raiden. The big engine found Misaki shunting Raiden's next goods train in the yard. He spoke to him while he took on water in a siding. “How DARE he!” Misaki was grumbling as he bumped the trucks roughly into place. “I wish we could teach him a lesson somehow.” “Don't waste your time on him,” Morning Light said. “It's not worth it. Besides, with his attitude, it's going to bite him in the buffers soon.” Morning Light was right. The trucks had heard the news, and they were cross too. “Who does he think he is, getting every engine on the line riled up?” Grunt the goods van snorted from the middle of the train. “That's OUR job! Let's show him who runs this island, shall we?” When Raiden arrived to collect it, he could hear the trucks giggling and snickering to each other. “Hey, you lot,” he snapped. “No chattering from you. I'm too busy for your games.” “Oh course you are, Sir,” said Grunt sarcastically. What Raiden didn't know was that some of the trucks in the train were the old red trucks from the mine. They were always problematic, especially with their brakes, which could easily slip on. When Raiden buffered up to the train, some of these trucks had their breaks on, and for the first time he could remember, he found himself struggling to start a train. “Pull all day! Pull all night! We won't go without a fight!” chanted the trucks. Raiden was infuriated. “Get moving!” he snarled, and he pulled harder, but the train hardly budged. He collected himself and backed up again, and then pulled even harder. There was a sudden jerk, and the train began to move. “Hah!” Raiden said proudly. “No trucks can beat this diesel!” And he rumbled grandly out of the yard, completely unaware of what actually happened. The coupling had snapped on one of the red trucks, leaving half of his train behind. He rolled proudly through the valley line as the narrow gauge engines puffed along. “Look at me, little toy trains!” he boasted. “On time and really reliable!” But the little engines looked more like they were throwing back fits of laughter. Raiden couldn't understand it, so he just ignored it and went on his way. It wasn't until they reached the next signalbox that they realized what had happened. In the end, Raiden had to go all the way back down the line and collect the rest of the train after delivering the first. Embarrassed and confused, the big diesel hoped none of the engines had heard the news. But when he pulled into the shed that night, the other engines were trying hard to contain their laughter. Raiden glared at them. “What are you all snickering about?” he grumbled. “It could have happened to any of us!” “I don't know,” snickered Misaki. “Hiro was half your strength and speed, and he's never left a truck behind.” “I... well...” Raiden tried to speak, but he was so tired and cross that he didn't have the will to say a word. “Stupid things,” he muttered to himself as the watched the other engines chatter amongst each other. Misaki the Hero The Big Controller was cross when he heard the news about Raiden. He wanted to send him back to the Mainland right away, but Raiden's Controller insisted that the diesel should be given another chance. Reluctantly, the Big Controller agreed. Ryu returned on the day before Raiden left. He was now sporting the railway's green with yellow colors, and he now had the number 5 painted on the side of his cab. The other engines thought he looked splendid, but their weren't as pleased when he began to boast about it. “You're looking at the pride of the line now!” he said grandly. “I bet I could look awesome pulling just about anything now!” “But you HATE working,” pointed out Sora. “Not when I look this good, my little branch line friend,” Ryu replied with a grin. “Just you wait and see.” Later that evening, Misaki was at the Big Station when Ryu pulled in. He had just returned from his goods run, and he was in high spirits. “Everyone thinks I look great!” he puffed. “It's weird, but I think I actually like working a little more now.” “That's nice,” Misaki said, “but be careful around Raiden.” “Raiden? Who's that?” “A diesel from the Mainland. He's been filling in for you while you were away. I'm worried he might try something devious before he goes.” “Pah,” Ryu said absently. “The Mainland diesels are all bark and no bite. This one will be no different.” Before they could leave, the Stationmaster appeared. “You two,” he said, “could you go help at the logging site? There are trucks to be moved and loggers to take home, and Naomi and Sora are handling a special together.” The two made their way to the logging site. While Ryu made his way over to the water tower, Misaki carefully organized the log trucks. Before long, he had two trains of lumber ready to go. Raiden was coming to take one train while Ryu took the other, so Misaki was in charge of getting the loggers safely home. Misaki collected three coaches from the yard. While she was there, they loaded two large cans of fuel into the last coach. “It's for Raiden,” said the Guard. “We need to bring him some fuel so he can make it home tomorrow.” They returned to the logging site. Raiden had just arrived and was waiting behind Ryu, who was being loaded up with coal. Misaki collected the loggers in her coaches, and hurried away down the line. He was enjoying her run under the moonlight when he realized that they had forgotten to give Raiden his fuel. “Don't worry,” said the Driver. “We'll bring the loggers home first, and then find Raiden and give him the fuel.” They never got the chance. Misaki and the Guard suddenly noticed something behind them. It was Ryu, his lamps bright and slowly gaining on them. “That's strange,” Misaki said to herself. “Ryu shouldn't have left yet.” The Guard shouted out for Ryu's Driver, but there was no reply. Ryu was panicking, going faster and faster. “Help me, Misaki!” he shouted out in desparation. “What's going on?” Misaki called back as he went faster himself. “Is there something behind you?” “No, it's not that!” Ryu cried out, but Misaki was going too far ahead to hear him. His passengers were terrified. If Ryu didn't stop soon, there would be a crash. Closer and closer they were getting to the Main Line, but Ryu still didn't stop. They had just reached the track to the Main Line when Misaki suddenly got an idea. “The fuel!” he said to his Driver. “If we spilled it on the rails, he'd slow down, right?” Her Driver thought this was a grand idea. Carefully, the Guard opened the back of the coach and spilled the diesel fuel all over the rails. Soon, Ryu was going slower and slower, until the light of his lamp grew dim in the distance. Misaki carefully stopped and reversed down the line. They found Ryu still running at full speed, but the rails were so oily by now that he could barely move an inch. Misaki's Guard suddenly noticed something. “There's no one in his cab!” he called out. Quickly, the Driver and Guard hurried into Ryu's cab and shut off steam. The exhausted engine's wheels finally came to a stop. “Oh, thank you, Misaki!” he called out to him as he caught his breath. They sanded the rails and Misaki backed up to Ryu. Cautiously, he backed him and his coaches off of the main line and back onto the branch. The Guard had just changed the points when Morning Light barreled past with an overnight goods train. Misaki was amazed “Wow,” he said. “Talk about a near miss, eh?” They backed down the line to the nearest station, where the Guard explained what happened to the Stationmaster. Kin and Kuro were soon called to take the loggers home. They here frustrated about having to be woken up so late at night. “The one time we're called to replace a steamer, and it had to be now,” they muttered. Meanwhile, Ryu was explaining to Misaki what had happened. “Raiden biffed me!” he said. “I was just about to go when he came up behind me and bumped me. My Driver and Fireman were knocked off the footplate. What was he trying to do?” Misaki looked grimly back towards the Main Line, where Morning Light had been only seconds ago. “I could only imagine,” he said darkly. The Big Controller was livid when he heard the news. Misaki took him up to the logging site, where he scolded the big diesel severely. “Sorry,” Raiden said in a deadpan tone. “It was just an accident.” “Accidentally on purpose,” corrected the Big Controller angrily. “You've been nothing but trouble since you got here, and you almost caused a horrible accident! Rest assured, I won't be inviting you back to my railway soon!” After Raiden left, the Big Controller thanked Misaki and his crew for their heroism. After the two engines had plenty of water and coal, Misaki and Ryu took the last number trains away. “Hey, Ryu?” he said as they puffed down the line. “You think the new engine's going to have adventures like this too?” Ryu thought for a moment. “I'm not sure,” he said with a small smile, “but if he gets a friend as good as you, I won't doubt it.” Misaki could only blush and hide himself in a cloud of steam.